Spirit Projection
by Rhys Davies
Summary: NOW COMPLETE! Terra's ghost is haunting Titans Tower. Her intentions are peaceful, but how can she cope when Raven and Beastboy are not only in love, but have a child? A fic for everyone, be they TBB or RBB.
1. Prologue

**DISCLAIMER:** All forthwith is jointly the property of DC Comics and Warner Brothers studios. No profit is being extracted from this by myself and I am only writing this for purposes of entertainment,

**A/N: IF YOU DON'T LIKE BIG AUTHOR NOTES THEN SKIP DOWN THIS PAGE.**

**TO ALL READERS OF 'ERA OF CHANGE.'**

Everyone waiting for the continuation of my other works in the Gundam Wing/Transformers sections will have to wait, as its just becoming impossible to carry on writing something so massive as 'Era of Change'. It almost depresses me to sit in front of this keyboard and force out even a few paragraphs of text, to the point that I became completely disillusioned with fanfiction. That's why I'm writing these Teen Titans fics, because they come so easily and don't require massive amounts of forethought. They're short, sharp and fun to write. Era was once like that, but it just grew into something too massive to continue with...for now.

I really do apologise to my most loyal reviewers and readers, such as Andrew, Cyblade Silver and Microwave Jockey. I'm really grateful for the help and all the positive feedback you've given me, and I think of all of you as friends. I hope I'm not betraying your trust and letting you down, but I've explained above why I'm stopping for now on Era of Change. One day I will finish it, when I feel confident enough to do so, but for now I can sit down at my school computer and work on these lesser projects in-between lessons, necessary given the amount of spare time I'm losing at home with work, exam revision and other commitments. I truly am sorry, and hope you can forgive me.

**TO ALL TEEN TITANS FANS.**

I'm a BIG Terra fan, so I do support Terra/Beastboy pairings. However, I wanted this fic to be something that would appeal to EVERYONE, and that includes Rae/BB fans. The relationships in this story also added an extra element of angst to Terra's plight, especially given what she's paid in order to be free of her stone shell.

**NB: **

Thanks to **POST**, author of the fantastic 'These Black Eyes,' for permitting me to use some of the information he created about Terra in this story, and for letting me copy a part of her Birthday DVD from his fic.

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**TEEN TITANS: SPIRIT PROJECTION**

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**PROLOGUE: FREEDOM**

Dreams can keep us alive.

When all hope seems lost, the ideal of a dream can maintain, nurture, sustain.

The hope of a better place, life or destiny. To this story however, they are irrelevant.

This person, this child dreamt of people, friends who had leant her the strength throughout the hardest two years of her life, providing her with a rock to cling to.

Rock. Haha.

But one person dominated her thoughts more than the others. The person who had made her complete, who always lurked at the back of her mind and sprung up when she needed his memory the most.

And eventually, those dreams had leant her the power to break free. To be whole again. To exist at all.

A faint whisper in the dry air of the cave.

"Beastboy."

-----------------------------

Beastboy smiled proudly at the indigo-haired figure as she disappeared up the stairs from the rec room of Titans Tower, a small bundle in her arms. As she vanished, there was a tiny wail and she replied with the gentle soothing of a mother.

Feeling the warm glow in his chest that came from being a father, Beastboy leant back in the sofa and allowed himself to float away on the joyous emotion, drowning in bliss.

-----------------------------

Waves lapping, stumbling footsteps and laboured breathing.

Metal heels digging into the pebbles on the surf line, the limping figure finally stopped and took stock. The night was cold, and dark, the sky hued in a deep navy. The lights of many buildings ahead reflected brightly on the tranquil waters of the bay.

Despite their brightness, they were cold to her, offering no sanctuary or hospitality. Instead, she turned out to sea and saw a familiar and comforting sight. The giant building on its tiny atoll, unspoilt, perfect, it's floodlit exterior radiating warmth, peace, security, family.

"Home, I'm coming home."

Trembling with barely suppressed joy and excitement she reached out to call forth the transport that would take her home, only to gasp in shock at what she saw, or rather _didn't_ see. Herself.

"Oh my God!"

And then there were only tears. Tears and the agonising sobbing of a lost and lonely child, so small in this great wide world.

And alone. Forever alone.

**TO BE CONTINUED…**


	2. Ghosts of the Past

**DISCLAIMER: Teen Titans is the sole property of DC Comics/Warner Brothers, and though this is plagiarism, it is done respectfully and with no intent to profit from it.**

**A/N: Again, I credit Post for providing me with some of the dates, and I thank all the other authors who's writings left impressions on me which later came together to become this fic.**

**CHAPTER 1: GHOSTS OF THE PAST**

"Hush-a-bye baby, on the tree top."

Alternating between soft singing and near-silent humming, Raven gently sent the small bundle in her arms of to sleep.

"When the bough breaks, the cradle will fall..."

Raven gently lowered the sleeping infant towards his cot, voice fading to an almost inaudible whisper as she laid him in his blankets.

"...and down will come baby, cradle and all."

Tucking the sheets around the tiny infant, she paused and kissed him gently on his brow.

"Sleep well Greg."

Smiling contentedly, both left. Raven to be with her partner, and Greg to that place where dreams are real, and where we all yearn to be.

-----------------------------

Beastboy waved silently to Raven as she came back down the stairs into the dimmed room, rising to embrace her. The past two years had brought a lot of changes, him finally overtaking her in height, but only by an inch.

**_'How did we get here?'_** both thought, trying to imagine the two gawky teenagers they were when they first met. Okay, still were. But they had come such a long way in those few years.

Beastboy had changed very little actually. Okay, he wasn't forever goofing off, and he now knew when jokes were and weren't needed in a situation, but he still retained his wide-eyed, exuberant outlook on life.

Raven had changed dramatically though. Though the evil within her would never be truly destroyed, it now effectively was, forever locked away and the key thrown down the proverbial well, giving her the freedom to be herself. She still shuddered when she remembered the last battle against Trigon, only a scant six months ago, knowing full well that she could not have done it without the support and love of her friends, and the knowledge of the tiny life that she had been carrying inside her at the time...

Both were content to just stand there, remembering and holding one another. Eventually they broke apart, but still remained close to each other, unsure of what to do now.

"So...you wanna watch a movie?"

Raven thought, shrugged.

"Sure."

-----------------------------

She landed without a sound outside the looming doors to the tower and paused, recovering from the brief elation of true flight, instead of riding on a boulder. The realisation of her situation quickly brought her back down to Earth however.

_**'How do I do this? If I can barely see myself, how can they be expected to.'**_

Hesitant to attempt what she would certainly be able to do given and walk through the door, she instead summoned her strength and found she could physically touch the keypad beside the door.

"T-5-18-18-A."

To her total surprise the sliding doors whooshed open at the entry of the old entry code.

_**'They haven't deleted my access code...why?"**_

Slowly she crossed the threshold and entered the place she still though of as home.

_**'...unless they still expect me to come back.'**_

Following a programmed sub-routine built into the doors a flat electronic voice echoed around the entrance hall from wall-mounted speakers.

"Welcome home, Terra."

-----------------------------

While Beastboy began to ferret around in the large racks of DVDs, Raven made herself comfortable on the only available couch in the room, the other two being occupied by a snoring Cyborg on one, and a sleeping Human/Tamaranian couple on the other, both snuggled against each other as they slept.

Not wanting to disturb them, Raven chattered telepathically with Beastboy.

_**'Anything there we haven't seen twenty times already?'**_

He 'thought' back and Raven heard his response as if he'd been sitting beside her.

_**'Unless you count the Lord of the Rings Extended Edition 3-in-1 then no.'**_

_**'Too long.'**_

_**'Spiderman 3?'**_

_**'Too loud.'**_

_**'Ghost Ship?'**_

_**'Too funny for this late at night.'**_

_**'Wicked Scary?'**_

_**'Hell no.'**_

There was a low chuckle from across the room and Beastboy turned back to looking through the DVD cases, working closer towards their own homemade movies. Suddenly his acute sense of hearing picked something up, a faint echo of a voice running through the building.

"-elcome-ome-erra."

Starting slightly, he knocked out a few cases by accident and left them there, listening. Hearing nothing, he picked up the various cases and carried them over to Raven on the couch.

_**'Which ones do you have?'**_

_**'No idea. Let's just pick one of them.'**_

-----------------------------

Terra slowly glided up the stairs, her feet not touching the ground, but floating just above. Call it ESP or something, but she was certain she knew where the five Titans were, the rec room, though she also felt...someone else.

_**'How long has it been. A year? A decade? Is there someone else here, someone new? A real sixth Titan.'**_

That last thought dredged up a load of bitterness, and she forced it down, and instead focused on spiralling further up towards the rec room.

_**'I don't belong here, and I can't stay. But I have to see them one last time.'**_

_**'I have to see him.'**_

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There were three movie DVDs and two home-mades. Discarding the first three as unsuitable, Beastboy and Raven turned to the last two, the topmost clearly labelled - **AUG-10TH 2004 GREG'S HOMECOMING PARTY.**

Both winced, remembering the first time they'd brought their son home. Hoping for some peace and quiet with their child after an intensive labour, they'd been torn between elation and fury to find a surprise party sprung on them.

All of the honorary Titans had been there, along with Speedy's Titans East team, the core members of the Justice League and a few other friends. Intent on toasting the new father, Robin, Cyborg and the Flash had ended up getting him drunker than an Irishman on St. Patrick's Day, while Raven had to suffer the joy and embarrassment of having Starfire, Wonder Woman, Supergirl, Blackfire and Hawkgirl squabble over who got to play with Greg. In the end Starfire won out, but the other women all remained to entertain Greg with raspberries, funny faces and baby talk until well after his bedtime.

Deciding both would melt from humiliation if they watched this home-movie, they picked up the last DVD and both of their smiles faded slightly while their eyes reflected a mix of painful and happy memories, particularly Beastboy's.

**DEC-2ND 2002 TERRA'S BIRTHDAY.**

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Silently, Terra reached the rec room and poked her head _through _the door. Everyone seemed to be asleep in the lounge area, the atmosphere still, quiet, homely. Unable to face them, and desperately trying to distract herself from the tempting scene, Terra floated around the opposite end of the room, looking for something to indicate how much time had passed.

Robin's computer was idling, and numerous pin-ups of wanted criminals still covered the wall space behind it. Unlike the expected pictures of Slade (she shuddered) she had become used to seeing there, most were for some guy named 'Brother Blood.'

Next to the pictures however, was what Terra had been looking for. A calendar, the days neatly crossed off down to the current day.

She blinked in surprise. Two years.

Suddenly, she was broken from her reverie by the sound of lowered voices, and she looked towards them.

-----------------------------

"Do you still think about Terra?"

Beastboy paused, unsure of how to continue.

"No, not that often. It hurts too much."

"Do you still love her?"

It wasn't an accusation of any kind, just a simple question from one lover to another. But it still took some time for him to answer.

"I-I don't know. I'm not sure if I even did. Besides, I have you now."

Raven could see the doubt in Beastboy's eyes, feel the deeply suppressed but powerful emotions in his mind, but also his genuine love for herself. And she was happy in that. Dropping the DVD case beside them, they leaned in for a kiss.

Just as their lips met, a cold draught blew past them, and for the faintest of seconds, Raven swore she could hear a muffled cry of pain, but then they were connected, and the familiar, but forever exhilarating sensation drove anything else out of her mind.

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How could she have been so STUPID! What did she think he would do, stand around waiting for her to come back.

But that didn't stop it from hurting.

Terra just ran. It was something she was used to, and something she hated herself for. If she weren't such a coward, she wouldn't have run away in the first place, and would never have gone to Slade. She would be here. Happy, with friends who loved her, with Beastboy.

Sobbing phantom tears that left no trail, she just ran until she found herself on the top corridor of the building, where the bedrooms where. At the top of the stairs, she briefly looked to the right, towards her own room, the door just visible, but dragged her eyes away, trying to push what might have been out of her eyes.

She felt strangely numb inside, but there was a feeling. Cold, but white-hot with it's pain at the same time. Knawing, consuming.

Betrayal.

Right, who was she to talk about betrayal, and when it came down to it Beastboy deserved better than her. Someone dependable, reliable, loyal. But of all the people it had to be in the world, it had to be Raven, another close friend.

Eyes squeezed shut to stem the tears, Terra didn't realise she had wondered down one of the corridors until a tiny gurgle shook her out of her trance. Looking for its source, she found herself outside another of the burnished steel doors of the tower.

Raven's.

The feeling she had felt of 'a sixth Titan' now blossomed to full realisation within Terra, and she broke down again in the corridor.

_**'Beastboy's forgotten me, he's with Raven and they--have a baby. Please God no.'**_

Insult added to injury, Terra found herself unable to hold in the pain anymore and just wept, beating her transparent fists against the floor in impotent frustration.

-----------------------------

'Thump, thump!'

Raven's eyes licked open and she slowly untangled herself from Beastboy's sleeping form, listened with her ear cocked to the ceiling.

'Thump, thump!'

Someone was in the tower.

-----------------------------

Even though she was--well, Terra still expected to have shudders running up her spine as she entered Raven's room, only to be brought up stock still in surprise.

The room had lost the brooding shades of blue and black that had once characterised it and instead was shaded in lighter pastels. Though the many occult artefacts still remained they had been removed from their plinths and lay around the -new- double bed, half packed into boxes lined with Styrofoam. The many shelves that once held books now carried everything required for a young mother. Bottles, milk, talcum powder, diapers, self-help books and nursery rhymes, everything was here.

But most noticeable, was the crib that was set up beside the bed and Terra began to approach it with leaded steps, fearing what she would look in and find.

But she had to know.

Terra reached the crib, looked in and gasped slightly.

The infant was cured up under a dark blue blanket, arms wrapped around what could vaguely be called a teddy bear - bright orange and obviously a home-made gift from Starfire. Unlike his parents, his skin was a bright, healthy flesh peach, but his parentage was evident from the slightly elfin tips to his tiny ears, and the already thick and spiky cowlick of dark-blue hair on his forehead. His breathing was slow and steady, and his tiny mouth grinned as he dreamt. He was the most beautiful child Terra had ever seen in her life, and her heart instantly melted.

"Awwww," she breathed, eyes shining with instant affection.

'If I hadn't run away with Slade I might be with Beastboy. But then this beautiful baby would never had been born.'

Terra jumped slightly as Greg stirred; yawning cutely as he stretched his tiny limbs and opened a pair of mesmeric blue eyes - his mothers, which instantly locked with Terra's.

_**'He can see me - wow.'**_

-----------------------------

Eyes narrowed to slits, Raven glided along the corridors of the tower, homing in on the elusive presence she could barely sense.

-----------------------------

Terra smiled and waved at the tiny child, who giggled back.

"Hi there--I'm Terra. Who are you?"

Greg gurgled happily in baby tongue, saliva dribbling down his chin. Terra, not knowing what the hell came over her, adopted a mock brusque attitude.

"Now then young man, it's well past your bed-time. What are you doing awake at this time of night?"

Greg clutched the blankets to his chin and his lip trembled as if he understood her. Any semblance of discipline faded as he and Terra traded funny faces, before he eventually settled down and drifted off to sleep, aided by a softly hummed song from Terra, who just rested her elbows on the railings of the crib and cupped her hands under her chin, just enjoying herself, once again feeling that Titans Tower was home.

-----------------------------

Raven had checked in all of the rooms in this half of the building, putting her ear to the doors and listening. Eventually she came to the room she was adapting for Beastboy to share with her, and listened.

_**'Yes.'**_

With a brief _hissss_ the door flicked open, bathing the darkened room with sudden light.

-----------------------------

Terra jumped and fell back from the crib, staring at the figure in the doorway, almost blinded by the corona of light around Raven.

-----------------------------

For the faintest of seconds Raven swore she saw a faintest shadow of a figure beside the crib, but then blinked, and found the room empty. Slowly approaching the crib, she checked and found Greg curled up against his teddy, grinning and snoring lightly.

Raven slowly turned and examined the room.

"I know you're here--show yourself."

-----------------------------

Terra pressed herself against the wall and stared in fixated horror at Raven, who appeared to look straight at her, eyes boring into her soul, before she turned and stared at the other corners of the room. The second Raven looked away, Terra darted for the door, running for the only sanctuary she knew.

-----------------------------

Five minutes later Raven came to the last door in the opposite half of the building. Greg was safe, sound and unharmed, but she could still feel a lingering sense of--someone. So she had checked all of the rooms, including the guest quarters and bathroom. There was only this one left.

Steeping through the open door she pressed the first of two switches by the door, and hundreds of tiny bulbs in the roof glimmered softly, almost like stars in a night sky.

The Titans didn't come here often, except to clean it or perhaps add something to the walls. Everything was silent, still. And yet the empty room didn't feel so--dead, as if something had changed.

Shrugging it off, Raven turned out the lights and shut the door behind her, heading back to the rec room.

-----------------------------

Terra stirred, her ethereal body not even disturbing the pristine sheets on the bed.

**_'Freshly made,'_** she noted with some surprise as she began to explore her old haunt - hehe.

In fact, everything in the room was tidy, the shelves dusted, the cactus watered and healthy. But the was more in here than before.

She'd kept the room fairly impersonal when she'd lived here, unable to add anything to a room she did not deserve. But now the red and black walls were covered in photographs. Herself, the titans, a rock mesa at sunset, Monument Valley at high noon. They had all gone to an effort to add something to this room to prepare it, _for her to come home?_

But there were still doubts in her mind. Until she saw IT. Mounted above her bedspread was a stone plaque, about one foot by two, a message carved in it with strong, firm hands--probably Cyborg's.

**TERRA - A TEEN TITAN - A TRUE FRIEND**

Terra first stared, then smiled, then wept in joy.

**'_They want me back -- they want me back, they're waiting for me, and they'll carry on waiting until I do.'_**

_-----------------------------_

Raven was curled up again with Beastboy on the couch, entwined in each other. The other titans were all asleep, all save one.

Terra came down the stairs as silently as she could, which was pretty easy. Snuggling up on the same couch as Cyborg, but at the opposite end where she could watch the other couples sleeping. Curling up into herself, she lay and waited. She didn't know if it was possible for her to sleep, but even if she couldn't she would just lie here and enjoy what she had been searching for all her life.

Family.

**TO BE CONTINUED...**

**A/N: Did you it? If you liked it, review, if you didn't, flame me, I don't care. Anyway, its cold over here and I could do with the warmth.**

**Obscure references: **

**1. Greg is named for Greg Cipes, BB's voice actor.**

**2. The events of this take place in April 2005. Terra met the Titans on the last day of August in 2002 (sugested by POST), and met Slade on the first of September (POST). She met up with the Titans again around the end of November, and celebrated her birthday on December the second (POST). Her betrayal was in the Jan/Feb period, and the events of Aftershock around March or April.**

**Greg was conceived during the December period of that year, and Trigon was defeated around a year after Terra died. Greg is born on August eight (my own brother – Rhodri's - birthday) and is eight months old when Terra is revived. **

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**Hope you guys all enjoyed it and the remaining three chapters will be posted soon - IF I GET REVIEWS! BWHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA-Ahem (clears throat), cheers and later days.**

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	3. Kids say the Darndest things

**DISCLAIMER: Teen Titans is the property of DC Comics and Warner Brothers, not me.**

**CHAPTER 2. KIDS SAY THE DARNDEST THINGS.**

Two weeks had come and gone, and for pretty much everyone in the tower they had been two weeks of bliss. Particularly for Raven and Beastboy.

Greg had to have been the most rambunctious, rebellious eight-month old in the world prior to this, and had suddenly made a complete turnaround. For the past few months one of the two had been up every night, tending to the many necessary duties of a parent. Feeding, burping, waking from nightmares, and just generally making the little kid feel safe at night.

Since the night when Raven had sworn she'd seen someone watching over Greg, the little scamp had been a perfect angel, only waking him or her up to feed him. Other than that, he seemed to sleep like a rock, and it had been a pleasant change for them. No more mornings looking like hell, subsisting on coffee at God-forsaken hours, and generally terrorising Starfire with their early-morning appearance.

Everyone was at a loss to explain Greg's sudden behaviour. Robin and Cyborg secretly harboured the suspicion that he had inherited his father's pranking genes, and was trying to lure his parents and family into a false sense of security before dropping a bomb on them.

Of course, none of them knew about the silent vigil Terra maintained over both Greg and his parents at night. Though she'd found it possible to sleep, she'd also found the slightest thing woke her up, and since she had no body to care for, she just lay in bed at night, half-dozing while keeping an ear cocked for the first sounds of Greg's pre-waking stirrings. The second he woke, he always found his guardian angel watching over him, smiling down at him or silently blowing raspberries, which was enough to keep him quiet until he drifted off again.

Terra only wished she could feed him as well and so relive the two young parents of that burden, but still found it difficult to physically manipulate small objects, let alone Greg's bottle of milk. The most she'd been able to do was replace his pacifier should it fall out of his mouth. Terra believed that she'd be able of more if she had a place to practice, but most rooms in the tower were surveillance-monitored, and objects apparently floating by themselves would raise a few questions when the tapes were reviewed.

But for now, Terra was content to do what little she could at night for Greg, and the same for the Titans at day. She was at as many of their battles as possible, cheering them on from the sidelines and she was certain it helped in someway, though the Titans remained totally oblivious to the real cause of their recent string of good luck. Except perhaps Raven. Terra often felt her eyes on her around the tower, as if Raven could sense she was there but not see her.

Also, despite all of her efforts for the team, Terra would not allow herself to revert back to her Titans uniform, For the first few days she'd moped around in her tattered Slade armour, till she found she could alter her clothing, though not her physical appearance. So for now she wore a duplicate of her old tan and grey casual clothes, right down to the hiking boots and goggles--not that she needed them anymore.

Terra did notice however that there were some problems in the Titan household, but once again, there was nothing she could do to relieve the situation.

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Another evening out on the town - battling the HIVE had left most of the Titans as worn out as old socks. Most because Raven had remained at home to keep an eye on Greg. Right now she was spoon-feeding him in the kitchen as the other four trudged in bruised, dusty, and dented.

"Bad night."

"You could say that," Beastboy answered as he spread out beside her at the table and tickled Greg under the chin, getting several gurgles from him. "Blood's current team are real tough nuts."

"Jinx, Gizmo and Mammoth weren't there?"

Starfire collapsed into a chair across from them.

"Neither have been seen operating with the HIVE in many months. It is my thought that they have granulated."

"Graduated Star," Robin corrected as he joined them, "word on the street is that they've come over to our side, and were apparently seen _stopping_ a bank heist last week."

Beastboy chuckled and slapped Cyborg on the back.

"Old Stone rubbed off on Jinx more than he expected huh?"

"Boo, ya." Cyborg replied in a monotone.

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Terra was currently 'doing a Starfire' and floating around in circles near the ceiling, listening to the conversation below, chuckling at the banter between the two friends, which seemed would never end no matter how old they became.

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Robin looked across at Raven, face neutral, voice serious.

"Rae, we really needed you today."

"Yeah," Cyborg chimed in, "it always helps to have you around to 'Azraeth Metrion Zinthos' the bad guys."

Raven smiled softly.

"Trust me, I want to be there with you, but I do have responsibilities here."

She turned to spoon Greg his last portion of food to find him happily being petted by Starfire, who jabbered at him in what might have been baby-talk or Tamaranian. Catching her eyes again, Robin nodded to Raven and motioned for her to join him in the lounge area.

"Raven, I know you have responsibilities with Greg, but this team needs you just as much as he does. He won't admit it to anyone of course, but Cyborg nearly didn't come back today."

Raven's hand went first to her mouth in surprise, then to her lap as she sat and considered. Robin pressed on again, but gentler this time.

"This team needs at least five on it to make it work. Without you, we're might not last that long. If we had a sixth titan, you and BB could alternate everyday on who stays home and have our blessing. But we need a fifth Raven. And if it's not you, then who is there?"

Raven opened her mouth, head cast to the ground.

"If only Ter..."

Robin nodded. Her unfinished statement was obvious.

"We are trying Raven. Not just for us, but for her as well. But till we get her back, we need you. Okay."

Robin slapped her amiably on the shoulder and left to join Starfire in playing with twenty-four inches of adorable baby-fat, leaving her to sit and ponder her choices alone.

---------------------

Terra was just as much in internal debate as Raven, having been hovering over Robin and her for the whole time.

_**'Damn it! You could do something about this if you weren't such a weakling!'**_

True. If she was stronger she could protect Greg while Raven fought alongside the other Titans, but she could barely lift a pocket calculator, let alone do everything needed to take care of a baby.

Somewhat angry with herself and confused about what to do Terra floated down to the couch and perched beside Raven.

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Raven felt a cold chill beside her and a brief brainwave flickered through her mind.

"Its difficult sometimes isn't it."

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Not thinking, Terra replied.

"Too right."

She suddenly realised what she had done and clamped her hands over her mouth. She'd assumed no one other than Greg could hear her, but Raven wasn't just human was she?

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Raven listed, but did not incline her head to her right. Did she hear something there?

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Terrified to even move lest it draw Raven's attention Terra waited till she looked away, before shooting out of the couch and through the ceiling like a rocket, emerging directly into Raven and Beastboy's room just as he was putting Greg to rest in his crib. All thoughts of Raven were rammed out of her head as she watched the guy she still loved with his son and fantasized over what might have been, just enjoying this moment.

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Beastboy's ears quivered slightly. He had not missed that slight sigh of contentment. No matter what others said of his intellect Beastboy was not dull-witted, and seemed to have been the only one who was noticing odd noises around Titans Tower these days. Night and day he could often hear the sound of phantom footsteps on floors above, sighs, whispers, chuckles, giggles and even occasionally a singing voice.

Had he been two or three years younger he would have instantly started gabbling about mutants, evil clones, possessed movies and how 'the funny guy's always the first to go.' This invisible presence was benevolent though, he was certain of that, so he wasn't troubled about any threat to his friends and family.

No, what bothered him was how familiar the voice was, haunting familiar, though he couldn't quite place it.

---------------------

Terra watched as he said goodnight to Greg and left the room, deep in thought over something or other. It concerned her slightly, but before she went to check on him she had to attend to something.

"Hey there little man! How's things swinging? Still no chicks queuing up to date a cute thing like you."

Greg laughed and clapped his hands. Terra smiled.

"Don't worry, you'll get them sooner or later."

Bending down she kissed his head, a physical feat she'd accomplished for a long time, though she wished she could do something like ruffle his hair.

As she turned to go Greg whimpered a bit and Terra turned.

"Don't worry, I've just got to go check on that lucky daddy of yours."

Greg chuckled again, louder this time, and suddenly stopped, his face baring an expression of shock and confusion. Terra cocked her head in confusion, then outright terror as Greg choked repeatedly.

_**'Oh my God! He's swallowed his own tongue!'**_

Greg was already turning blue in the face as Terra ran over to him and on reflex attempted to reach into his mouth and open the airway, only to have her hands go right through him.

_**'Damn it!'**_

Terra focused her strength and managed to get a purchase on the small slippery tongue, but had no energy left to pull it back. Greg was now a deep-veined purple, tears filling his eyes with the pain. Terra yanked again and lost all hold on him, falling back through the crib bars and onto the floor.

"Oh God help me! Please help me!"

Unable to save Greg herself, Terra realised she'd have to do what she'd promised herself not to.

---------------------

Beastboy and Raven were curled up on the couch again; she healing up his many cuts and bruises, when a sudden scream of anguish and desperation shot through her mind.

_**"QUICK! GREG'S CHOKING!"**_

Not even bothering to question where the voice came from, Raven vanished into a black pool of telepathic energy, dragging Beastboy after her.

---------------------

Drawing her strength for that SOS had completely drained Terra, and she slumped forward onto a bedside cabinet as a portal opened up in the middle of the room. Greg, now spasming and on the verge of unconsciousness, was instantly scooped up in a pair of strong arms and his tongue quickly yanked out of his throat.

Terrified at what had nearly happened to his son, Beastboy collapsed beside Raven on the bed, Greg in his arms, the flushed colour quickly fading from his face.

"How did you know?"

"I didn't."

"Then what..."

---------------------

Terra was spinning through an infinite void of black, pinpricked with white stars, falling into emptiness. Worried by the fact that she seemed to have fallen out of Raven's room into an alternate dimension she tried to fly, but found herself continuing to fall until suddenly she slammed into a solid surface with an impact that knocked the breath out of her.

---------------------

Beastboy laid Greg back into his crib, amazed at how quickly the little tyke had put his near death behind him. Not nearly as cheerful, he sat back down beside Raven, who was slumped on the edge of the bed in deep concentration.

"You have no idea who it was?"

"No but--Beastboy have you noticed anything--strange around the tower lately."

"Voices, footsteps, singing in the dark. That any good?"

"When did it start?"

"About two weeks ago, that night we were all asleep in the rec room I swear I heard the greeting system downstairs responding to someone entering the tower."

Raven suddenly stopped staring at her feet and looked up, a new possibility coming to mind.

"And the same night I saw someone in here with Greg..."

They both felt a slight chill run up their spines.

"Do we tell the others that the tower's haunted?"

"I don't think so. I mean we know this person means no harm - so it isn't a threat they have to know about."

"Yeah but who is it?"

"The sixty-four million dollar question everyone, do I have an answer?"

Silence, save Greg, who was suddenly whimpering to himself, unable to sleep. Raven went to check on him, rubbing her head as she went.

_**'Damn headaches.'**_

---------------------

Terra had almost forgotten how to do this. Soaring through this new place on top of the boulder she'd landed on brought back a lot of memories.

'Now how do I get out of here?'

Suddenly, a harsh symphony of noise almost disturbed her from her perch, as a flock of ragged birds swooped down around her, cawing harshly as they tore at her with sharp claws and razor-sharp bills.

**"TUUUURN BAAACK! TUUUURN BAAACK!"**

Fighting her way out of the small air-force, Terra bombarded the tiny demons out of the sky with projectiles of stone, until exhausted she allowed the boulder to fall onto a red pathway that hung suspended in the middle of the void.

---------------------

Raven suddenly bit back a cry of pain that lanced through her head like an arrow, fading as quickly as it came, leaving only the faintest irritation that something--wasn't right.

Greg still wouldn't stop his little whimpers, only stopping when either parent stood by the crib and watched over him, then firing up the old wail-engine the second they stepped out of sight.

If they had the strength Raven and Beastboy would have stayed by him all night, but both were almost dead on their feet. Yawning loudly, Beastboy suddenly had an idea. Reaching into his wallet he pulled out a dog-eared, well-folded photo, which he fixed to the inside of the crib with a wad of chewing gum. Greg instantly settled down, his giant eyes fixed on the frozen image.

"There you are champ, now you can have all of us keeping an eye on you at night."

Grinning lovably Greg pointed a fist at it.

"Addy!"

Daddy. His first word. Beastboy smiled proudly as Raven briefly looked at the photo showing the Titans outside the tower posing for the camera. All six of them. Raven fixed her eyes briefly on the blonde-haired girl that stood between herself and Beastboy, an arm on each of their shoulders to photo-Raven's somewhat petulant dismay.

"That's an old one."

"Took it the day after she joined, remember?"

"Too well."

Greg had continued to jabber at the photo, babbling through the expected 'Addy!' and 'Momee!' Suddenly he pointed his fist again and smiled proudly at his parents.

"Erra!"

That stopped the happy reminiscing instantly. Both stared back at the grinning baby, who repeated the same word as he pointed at the sixth person in the photo.

"Erra!"

Raven and Beastboy, jaws hanging open turned to stare at each other.

"No way!"

---------------------

Half an hour later both had been galvanised into action, their depleted energy levels instantly recharged with the thought of solving the mystery of the 'haunted tower'. While Beastboy took Greg back downstairs to confirm their suspicions, Raven began another search of the bedrooms, starting with the one at the opposite end of the building to hers.

"Terra?"

Her bedroom was empty, silent, but still didn't retain the chill feeling of emptiness it had for so long. Turning on the main lights for the first time in a year, Raven slowly looked round the largish room, looking for something, anything that was amiss.

There was nothing. Terra's laptop was still on top of the coffee table where she had left it over two years ago, all of the photos hung on the walls, unmoved, even the thin layering of dust was undisturbed...

_**'No, not quite.'**_

Raven knelt down beside the bed, brushing the tips of her slender fingers through the tiny film of grey. It was faintly disturbed here--and here, as if someone had trodden on it very gently. Checking on the bed, Raven found to her faint surprise that the sheets were also slightly messed-up, but again, only by a fraction of a margin. Returning to the floor, she hunted around the room till she found what she was looking for up against the window--a footprint.

Reaching into a cupboard and pulling out a boot (feeling like a grave-robber in the process), Raven compared it to the tiny markings in the floor. There was no mistaking the pattern of tread on the thick heel of the hiking boot. Reverently replacing the footwear, Raven nulled the lights and returned to her room.

---------------------

No one questioned why Beastboy had seen fit to put on the DVD of Terra's fifteenth birthday party, though they all wanted to know. Assuming there was some deeply personnel reasons to blame, they gave him and his son a wide berth, which was perfect for Beastboy, because he didn't want them asking why Greg cheered in his own sweet way every time Terra came on screen.

_**'What are you doing here Terra? Why are you here?'**_

---------------------

Raven drifted through the room, touching each surface lightly, thinking, sensing, searching for the presence that eluded her. She found faint traces around the crib and the bed, but that was all. Frustrated she sat down on the bedstead.

'Right, you've tried the spiritual track and came up with nothing. What about logic?'

Terra had to have been in here when she yelled for help. Beastboy and herself were here in three seconds. She'd didn't have time to leave, and she's nowhere now. So where?

Drumming her fingers on the desk, she suddenly felt them rap against a metal surface. She flicked her eyes down and double-taked.

_**'Headaches explained.' **_

---------------------

Terra was cold, frightened, and alone. Unable to find her way out of this--place, she had given up and tried to get some rest. Fat chance. The path was cold, hard and unyielding. Even trying to sleep on it had brought back very unpleasant memories of the long years she had spent alone, and all as a result of her damned powers.

She sometimes wondered what would have happened had she been a normal girl, how different her life would have turned out to be. Of course, she still wouldn't have had a father, but Mom wouldn't have died birthing her, along with Uncle Scott, the only person who'd ever loved her as much as the Titans. And how about all those towns and people she had tried to help, but only damaged further in the process.

In fact, after sixteen years on this Earth, what had she amounted to? Nothing. Yes a few lives saved here, but more lost there. Jump City the latest to suffer millions of dollars of damage because of her. All that remained to show she had ever existed were a few memories.

'**_But you never wanted that,'_** another voice argued, **_'all you wanted was a family. People who loved you, and you have that. Six in fact. And everyone in this city remembers and reveres you as a heroine.' _**

True. And she did have a home, a place to come back to, even if others couldn't see her. She remembered one Christmas, the year before she'd met the Titans, wondering through some small town out in Nevada, watching the happy families in their warm, snug houses instead of being outside in the snow...She'd spent that night in a community shelter.

So, she should be grateful for what she now had, or did have, since there seemed to be no way in or out of this prison. And once again she remembered her position and wept, letting the unbidden tears trickle down her face, her cheeks, feeling the salty taste in her mouth and just wallowing in self-pity.

"Hello Terra."

Terra whipped round and blinked.

"Raven?"

The petite half-demon stepped towards Terra and sat down on the path's edge beside her, swinging her legs in the void. Terra just watched silently, shocked first by Raven's appearance, or how calmly she took the confrontation of her former team-mate.

"Two weeks, right."

Silence. Raven prodded further.

"You've been back two weeks."

Terra just gaped slightly before summoning up the strength to respond.

"How did you find me?"

Raven waved her hand around the empty space.

"Easy, you're still in my room--in a sense..."

"What?"

"Putting it bluntly, you're inside my head. This place is a mental projection of my mind. Sorry if its not much, but its home..."

Comprehension began to dawn on Terra.

"The mirror on your bedside cabinet."

Raven nodded.

"A portal into my mind. You'd been able to sense something about it, right?"

"Kinda. I was often distracted by something else."

"Greg?"

Terra nodded slightly, smiling bashfully.

"He's a cute kid."

"Yeah, I know. Felt like passing a football though."

They shared a smile.

"You've been watching him, haven't you? At night I mean?"

"Yeah. I wanted to stay, but I felt I had to do something for the team, and he was the only one who could see me so I decided to help to make things easier on you and Beastboy."

"Guess that explains Greg's impeccable behaviour. Thanks," her voice lowered, "and for more than just that. If you hadn't...he would have died."

Terra grinned abashedly, then frowned.

"I should have been able to do it myself. Fat load of help I am if I can't even touch him."

"What you did was more than enough. There's no way I can thankyou enough, and neither can Beastboy."

A pause before Terra put two and two together.

"He knows?"

Raven nodded.

"Did he...say anything?"

"He wanted to know what you're doing here?"

"Does he, ever speak about me?"

Terra's voice had more than a tint of hope in it, and it broke Raven's heart for her to shake her head in reply. Terra looked back at the ground, hair falling forward over her face.

"Oh...okay."

There was a lot of hurt in those two words and Raven couldn't think of how to respond. Terra sat for a while gnawing on her lip, before shivering slightly.

"It's cold in here."

Raven finally noticed Terra's torn, battered and slightly bloody appearance and growled inhumanly.

"Hatred's gonna pay for sending those birds of hers after you."

Not noticing Terra's quizzical expression, Raven removed her cloak and draped it over her shoulders. Grateful for the extra warmth Terra drew it around her.

"Thanks."

There was an uneasy silence before Raven spoke up.

"You know Terra, I'm amazed that you managed to set your soul free from your body like you did."

"I have a body?"

"Frozen in stone, but yeah--didn't you know?"

Terra shook her head.

"When I came to, the first thing I did was start out for here. Didn't hang around, I just wanted," a sigh, "to come home. It was only when I reached the coast that I realised...what I'd become. And how much things had changed."

Raven remembered back to that night, and the brief scream of anguish she'd heard when Beastboy said he'd never loved Terra. Pity swelled up in her and she put a consoling shoulder on the blonde's shoulder, which was quivering uncontrollably. Terra was working up towards hysteria now, her words tumbling from her mouth along with strangled sobs.

"That's why I came back--to be with him. You guys also, but when I was dead, I remembered him most. And what he'd done for me! And those dreams helped keep me alive for two years--the things I'd hoped for, the life I've dreamed of."

Raven was stunned at the depth of Terra's emotional outburst.

"They were so real at the time that I believed them! I had a home, family, children!"

Subconsciously Terra had linked her arms and was rocking them like a child was resting in them.

"There was this one baby that I can still see. Ashley. And I remember her! Birthing, raising, everything. You were her Godmother! And I loved her. But she was a lie! Just like the dream world I lived in for one and a half years!"

Terra stared at her hands, balling them into fists and sitting up straighter.

"But I realised, I woke up. And that dream, and the memories I have of you and the other titans gave me what I needed to break free. Instead of dreaming, I was gonna _make_ it happen."

She slumped slightly and the tears began to run down her face again. Raven was having trouble holding her own in.

"And then...and then..."

She gave up on all pretence and just cried, letting out all the pain that had been bottling up inside her over the past two weeks beneath her happiness. Raven did not know what to do and just took Terra into her arms, holding her, letting the smaller girl cry into her shoulders.

"IT'S NOT FAIR! IT'S NOT FAIR..."

Terra was beating her fists impotently against Raven's shoulders.

"I thought I would finally have a life. The life I've been dreaming of and hoping for since I lost everything! My Mother--died in childbirth! My father--I don't even know who the bastard is, only that he stood her up in New York. My Uncle's dead because of me along with countless others and Titans tower was my first home in the two years since he died."

The fight went out of her and she just slumped into Raven's embrace, sobbing heavily, her tiny frame wracked with pain.

"I want Beastboy back...I want back the first person who loved me for who I was, despite my problems. I had a chance...Slade stole that chance from me and I went crawling to him on my knees. I screwed up monumentally and I'm still paying for it. Why? Why..."

Raven was stunned, amazed and overwhelmed with love for this girl, who had done so much wrong, but had tried so hard to make up, and to whom she now owed the life of her son. Raven held her round the shoulders with one arm and stroked her hair with the other, trying to console her.

"Terra...I'm sorry. I'm so sorry that we weren't there to help you when you needed us. I'm sorry that I was always the first to brand you as a traitor, because I didn't know. I didn't know how much you're hurting...I'm sorry."

Terra was silent now, head resting against Raven's chest like a child cuddling a parent.

"And I'm sorry that I can't give you back what you've lost. But we're here for you Terra. And we all feel the same way about you, Beastboy included. We're all waiting for you to come back, and we're ready to accept you with open arms. And he does still love you. He tries to hide it, but it's still there.

We might not be able to give you the children you want, but that's no reason why we can't be a family, because we're all alone. Robin, Cy, Beastboy, me, you, we're all orphans, and Starfire's as good as one. So we all know the pain, the loneliness, and we can help each other."

There was a long silence as Terra took in the meaning of those words and smiled to herself. Raven, feeling the tension easing out of her young ward gently pushed her back until they were facing each other. Terra's tear-stained, grubby, yet happy and grateful expression said more to Raven than a simple 'thanks' ever could. She smiled warmly.

"C'mon. Let's get out of this hell-hole."

---------------------

Greg happily gurgled and sucked on his own fist as the DVD film neared the end. The usual footage surrounding the cake, party and Beastboy being beaten over the head with the camera had drawn to a close and now the camera lay in a cushion on the couch, only recording a pair of voices by accident.

Him and Terra, sitting together, just holding hands and talking. So much had Raven and Greg dominated his thoughts in the past year that Beastboy had almost forgotten what they had had between each other.

Focused on forcing his mind back over two years, Beastboy almost missed the last piece of dialogue. He remembered this, prompting Terra what she'd wish for if she'd had a second cake.

"**_Okay. If I could have any wish at all...it'd be...it'd be...."  
  
"Yes, Terra?"  
  
_**Silence.**_  
  
"I-It'd be for you guys to stay my friends forever."_**

_**"Pfft!! Terra, I said a wish! Not a reality!"  
  
"Awwww....B.B. You're too sweet."  
  
"Sweet...as in soy milk and tofu eggs cake sweet?"  
  
"Well......er....I don't want to insult you...."  
  
"Oh come on!!"  
  
"Hehehehehehe!!"  
  
"Hey Terra?"  
  
"Hehehe—yeah?"  
  
"Happy birthday."  
  
"Th-Thanks, Beast Boy. Thanks....v-very much."**_

The footage continued for a few seconds then broke with a brief burst of static. It pained him, really did, to watch this and be forced to recollect how special it had felt had the time—how right and perfect it was. And how it had all gone to pieces.

'If Terra's here now, then how does she feel to see me and Raven together? Losing her hurt me, but for someone as lonely as her it must be like a bombshell.'

And if he was to be honest with himself, he still had those emotions about her. They were like the memories, hiding in the back of his mind but jumping out suddenly like nightmares. Her smile, the way the light would catch her corn-blonde hair, the excitement and joy of being alive shining in her cerulean eyes. It was all still there, but he felt the same way about Raven, and he'd managed to make that relationship last. He'd never even got to kiss Terra, or express his love for her.

'And why is she doing so much to help Greg and us? When we've done nothing for her. Is she trying to speak to us, to show she's here? Or has she moved on?'

He guessed he should be happy for Terra to have gotten over him, but even the idea brought out a wave of unwanted emotions. He didn't want her to get over him, as selfish as it sounded. Sitting there, debating over two women he felt deeply about – he felt like an indecent cheater.

'_**I'm committed to Raven, and I do love her. So why is part of me still holding out for Terra?'**_

He didn't think he'd even been in such a mess, and was actually glad to hear the sound of Raven coming back down the stairs into the rec room. Instantly they locked eyes and an unspoken message flashed between them.

'_**Terra?'**_

'_**Yes.'**_

'_**How is she?'**_

'_**She's fine. Still hurting over you though.'**_

'_**Now I feel guilty.'**_

'_**Don't. She's happy for us, even if it pains her at the same time.'**_

'_**Can I see her?'**_

'_**Not now. She's feeling a bit – fragile.'**_

'_**Where is she?'**_

'_**Sitting next to you.'**_

Beastboy turned and looked at the empty space beside him on the couch. Feeling a bit foolish he smiled and waved at thin air.

"Hi there. You doing alright."

---------------------

Raven smiled at the sight of a nervous Beastboy waving at Terra's blushing shade. Now that she knew what she was looking for, Terra stood out as clear as a neon sign at night. The two girls looked each other in the eye, both grinning at his expense.

"Um, guys. You okay?"

Beastboy waved his arms in a desperate attempt to draw attention back to him. Raven looked towards him.

"Terra says hi, and comments on how manly you've become."

Now it was Beastboy's turn to blush.

**TO BE CONTINUED...**

**Hope you enjoyed it. REVIEW PLEASE!**

**Obscure Reference: Terra's imaginary baby is named for Ashley Johnson, her own voice actor.**


	4. Mad Mod

**DISCLAIMER: **Not mine. No-how, no-way.

A/N: This chapter is more action driven than emotion but writing it was some of the best fun I got from this story, Mod's hilarious to write, plus I got to do lots of little homages to my home, the United Kingdom. I hope you enjoy reading him as much as I enjoyed writing him.

Technically, this is the last chapter, but there is an epilogue, and I thank all of you good people who have reviewed from the bottom of my heart.

ENJOY!

**CHAPTER 3: MAD MOD**

Robin drew a birdarang and held it to his shoulder, coiled like a snake about to strike. Beside him, Beastboy, Starfire and Cyborg took up fighting stances, ready to jump into action.

"Well hello my duckies."

Mad Mod pranced in front of them, amazingly sprightly for a man of his age – or maybe it was just another hologram. Grinning like a buffoon, the Caranaby suited cockney tapped his cane against the ground and leered at them.

"I must say, its bloody corkin' of you to turn up on time. I was kinda hopin' you'd be here so I could show off."

'Here' was the vault of the Jump City First National Bank, for the past hour Mad Mod's inner sanctum until the Titans had overwhelmed a small army of robots – ex Slade units toffed up with Union Jacks and RAF roundels -- and fought their way to the centre of the building.

The four Titans watched and waited. Mad Mod had frozen stock still on the dais he was standing on – actually the vault door torn loose and turned on its side. Millions of dollars worth of spoils littered the ground around him, not just the expected notes but also coinage and jewellery, all loaded into brown sacks labelled 'SWAG.' The robots that were going to carry them lay dismembered on the floor, occasionally sparking.

Mod didn't move or blink, just stood there with a crazed expression his lifeless face.

Cautiously Robin approached and waved his hand in front of Mod's eyes while the other Titans held back. Mod didn't even blink. Robin sneered.

"Hologram."

He turned and swept his eyes round the room, looking for a hidden camera.

"Alright Mod. You can't fool us with the same tricks twice so come out now and you won't get hurt."

Out of the corner of his eye, Robin saw a tiny movement – oh shit.

"Actually--"

Robin received a resounding blow from the cane across the jaw that sent him flying across the room.

"—you're the only ones who'll be getting hurt duckies!"

Stumbling back Robin rubbed his jaw and stared at the now animate Mod, skipping merrily across the vault.

"Amazing what the latest rejuvenation surgery will do for you."

Frowning and whipping out his bo-staff, Robin took up a martial-arts stance.

"Titans--go!"

Mod just smiled madly as the four meta-teens advanced on him.

The duckies were in for the shocks of their lives.

---------------------------

Raven sat with Greg on one side of the table. On the other side was Terra, pale and almost completely faded out of existence. Rather than appearing concerned, Raven sternly fixed Terra with a glare.

"Again."

"Just, give me five minutes Raven. My head's—splitting."

Raven's expression softened.

"Sorry, I didn't realise how tough you're finding this."

Raven had elected to help Terra regain her lost strength so that she could take care of Greg while she fought with the Titans. It was hard going. In return for losing her body and original powers, Terra seemed to have developed a limited telekinesis and telepathy. Currently they were trying to focus on the first, though any great effort quickly drained her limited reserves of strength.

Terra took some deep breaths and focused, her body gaining more substance.

"Right...Let's go."

"Okay. Focus on the book."

Sitting between them was a large telephone directory, the kind that Terra would have had difficult lifting even when she had a physical form.

"Gather your energy, and direct it."

Terra nodded, focused and extended a hand. The book shook, quivered, but didn't shift in any direction. She let go with a small gasp and rubbed her temple. Raven however pushed on, not letting up.

"Again."

This time the book lifted about three inches before falling back to the tabletop with a thud. Terra, furious slammed her fists on the table.

"Damn it I can't do it Raven."

"You can and you will. Now, again."

"Fine!"

This time Terra gave it everything she had, so hard that a vein popped out in her temple and her heart thudded like a jackhammer in her chest. All the while the splitting pain in her skull was building. The book lifted three feet into the air and hovered.

"Excellent. Now hold it Terra. Keep it there."

Beads of sweat were breaking out on Terra's forehead as her lip quivered.

"I can't hold it—too heavy," she whimpered.

"HOLD IT!"

That last yell pushed Terra's temper over the edge. Screaming she sent a mental wave of energy swarming from her head, down her arm and out of her fingers.

Suddenly blazing with a familiar golden light, the telephone directory shot off the table and punched a sizeable hole in the ceiling above. Shards of plaster rained down on the two – well, mostly Raven as they went straight through Terra, who stared in amazement at her hands.

"I – I did it. And it feels just like..."

Terra reached out again and her ethereal hand glowed faintly. Instantly the table itself rose off the ground. Raven watched with some amusement and interest.

"Congratulations Terra. You've regained your powers."

**'_And more,_'** a voice echoed in her head. Raven and Terra, both stunned, stared at each other.

_---------------------------_

"Britain's schools are where tomorrow adults or chil-der-en are harvested," Mad Mod crowed, "and I'm educating you kids back to the stone age!"

With an incredible athleticism he punched Robin in the gut before he could bring the bo staff swinging down on the crazed Englishman. Hand springing back he neatly dodged a pair of star-bolts and an enraged alligator. He tutted as if disappointed.

"Now really kids, where's the commitment."

Goading them on he neatly dodged every attack and responded in force, continually grinning madly.

"Let me welcome you to -- Penny Lane."

Confused the four Titans each cocked an eyebrow, until concealed panels in the walls above them open up, dousing them in thousands of silver, gold and copper coins.

"Let's check the stock exchange - oh, the pound is stronger than the dollar."

As he continued to giggle maniacally Robin and the other three rose out of the British currency that littered the floor up to their knees.

"Guess what Mod - the economy's about to crash."

Beastboy was examining a small bronze coin he held in his hand.

"Hey guys, I found a euro!"

Snarling slightly Mod snatched the offending piece of currency out of the green imp's hand and tossed it skywards, aiming his cane at it. With a loud ZAP! a bolt of indigo energy lanced out and reduced the euro to nothing.

Mod twirled the laser-cane like a baton and posed like Bruce Lee.

"Bring it on kiddies."

---------------------------

Terra and Raven were on a roll. Not only had Terra regained her full strength as a geokinetic, but she now had a limited power over other objects as well. Her telepathic ability seemed to be equal to Raven's, though using any of them still drained her quickly.

"How did all of this happen?"

"Well, I'd hazard that either your powers have mutated -- which is unlikely, or these new abilities are to do with your permanent out-of-body experience. I doubt you'd have ever possessed them otherwise."

They were on the tower's roof, Terra absentmindedly twirling several small rocks around above them.

"I'd almost forgotten how good this felt."

"What?"

"This powers might be the reason I've lost everything, but when I was on my own it was comforting to feel the Earth around me. Breathing, living, enfolding like a blanket."

Terra grimaced slightly and rubbed furiously at her temple; above the small fragments fell and splashed into the sea.

Greg, sitting between the two of them, was fiddling with Raven's communicator, which suddenly let out a high-pitched beeping. Raven instantly disentangled it from his pudgey fingers.

"What have you done now Greg?" she flipped the lid up, "oh. Robin."

She might have been some distance away but Terra could still clearly hear the sounds of yells and explosions, and hear Robin's near-to-panicking voice.

"Raven, we need you down here. STAT!"

The transmission abruptly cut out as Terra looked at Raven, who had visibly tensed.

"I'll take care of Greg. Go, now!"

With the briefest of nods Raven lifted her hood over her face, shrouding it, and took off into the midday glare. Terra looked at the baby by her feet and reached down to him.

"Right you. Let's go find some food."

Lifting him into her arms was not as difficult as Terra had expected, but she still felt his weight. As she quickly started down the staircase towards the rec room, she could also feel a niggling sense of unease in the back of her mind, as if her new physcic sense was trying to tell her something.

---------------------------

It was down to just Robin and Mod now. Beastboy had gone down to one of the 60s-suited freak's hypno-screens, while Starfire and Cyborg had been overwhelmed by a final wave of robots. All were unconscious, and in Beastboy's case, drooling on the floor.

Robin and Mod were duelling like martial-arts contestants with their unique variety of gadgets, Robin his staff, explosive disks and birdarangs, and Mod his cane, which could control his small air force of flying-drones, as well as shoot lasers.

Currently all of his force was being directed on the boy-wonder, who had to dodge the small-calibre fire of the drones and Mod's lunges and swings with the wood and metal cane. Eventually, Robin went down with his friends, concussed over the head with one sharp final blow.

"Oh say can you see, the damn Yanks are down!"

As Mod happily hummed his own rendition of the National Anthem, he failed to notice the dark figure approaching from behind him until an aura of black telekinesis wrapped itself around the staff and whipped it out of his hand. Somehow managing to remain calm he whipped round, a sadistic smile on his face.

"Well it's her royal highness herself. I humbly grovel before you, Mam'."

Hand on his heart Mod bowed to Raven in a manner that should be impossible for a human, his rat-like nose scraping the floor. Following him with her eyes Raven was caught off-guard by the drone that had been hidden behind his back, the drone which fired off a rocket as soon as Mod dropped out of it's sight.

**KA-BOOM!**

The blast threw Raven back against the concrete and titanium wall of the vault, momentarily winding her. Recovering his cane he stood in front of Raven as she lifted her head off the floor, just in time to lock eyes with him and be stunned by the look of utter hate on his usually manic features.

"God save the Queen," he growled before whipping the tip of the cane down across the back of Raven's head, slamming her face into the floor with bone-breaking force.

Ouch.

Cheerfully whistling a lively tune of 'Rule Britannia, Britannia rules the waves,' Mod strolled back to his dismembered army of robots and began screwing the limbs back on with a small screwdriver.

"Recycling - it's a wonderful thing."

---------------------------

Terra was -- troubled. There was no reason for her to be so nervous - but she just felt it. She was keeping one eye on Greg and at the same time reaching out with her mind - trying to find the Titans, but she just felt emptiness.

'C'mon, they're in a bank vault - it's not like you'll be able to pierce that with your mind - is it?'

Trying to allay her fears, she dug around the couch cushions for the remote and flipped on the huge wall-screen TV, running through the different channels looking for something mindless - cartoons, Fox, the Bush administration, but instead backtracked to one of the news channels and instantly paled.

On screen was the bank, innumerable robots marching out of the building, all carrying large sacks of loot.

"Damn it! They're in trouble! But what can I do -- Raven!"

Scooping up Greg in her arms as she went Terra ran for Raven's room.

---------------------------

The street was empty, even the news-crew had fled from the hauntingly familiar sight of soulless robots patrolling the streets. Mod stood like a triumphant monarch before the Doric columns of the bank's facade, while a remote convoy of Union-Jacked Mini Coopers drew up and were instantly loaded by the robots with his ill-gotten gains.

"Oh it's a self-preservation society."

Almost tap-dancing with glee Mod beamed as the last six robots emerged with the Titan's flung over their shoulders - two sharing Cyborg's weight, and tied one to the roof of each of the Minis. Pulling out a long, thick cigar he lit it and began rolling it around his mouth while adopting a mock Churchillian accent.

"Never has one man, owed so much, to himself."

---------------------------

Inside her mind all of Raven's emotions lay dormant. Pain, Sorrow, Brave, Happy, Smart, Angry, Gross and all the rest were all lying about, because since Raven was unconscious and not even dreaming - none of them were awake either.

Terra walked into the open amphitheatre where the emotions met and counselled, cursing to herself. She was counting on at least one of them to be awake. She didn't even know how she had got here, only that she had gone through the mirror and somehow knew that this was where she needed to be.

Terra didn't both to try and wake the emotions, but instead strode straight into the centre of the small amphitheatre and looked around, as if searching for a sign. Finding none, she sighed and extended her arms, fingers splayed out like spiders and closed her eyes, burrowing deep within herself.

The ground around her began to quiver, the tremors growing to a thundering climax that shook the structure and rocked the whole of Nevermore. Tendons which were made of stone, yet which bent and flowed like they were alive, burst from the ground and wrapped themselves around Terra's arms and legs, tightening and dragging her to her knees.

Feeling along this stone, which was tied into the fabric of Raven's mind, Terra suddenly was connected and knew everything. Everything Raven knew, everything she ever was and did flashed briefly through Terra's mind. Fighting against the flood of information, Terra pushed it back, and began to feed pieces of herself along with it.

---------------------------

Raven's prostrate form stirred slightly, then came to, arms straining against the ropes that bound it.

---------------------------

Mod was behind the steering wheel (right-hand drive) of the leading Mini, the others peeling through the deserted streets of Jump City in his wake.

"Seriously, who do these Yanks think they're kidding? They go and build all these roads, and then don't bother to use them. Tsk. Tsk."

Yanking the wheel over to the left he screeched his car round a corner, canting the vehicle over onto its right-hand wheels. No sooner had he made the turn however, that a black shape had arched down from the sky into his bonnet, instantly caving it in and punching the engine through into the road surface. Mod's air-bag inflated in his face as the car ground to a halt; behind, the other four also lost control without him to guide them and rolled into walls, lamp-posts, each other.

Spewing colourful cockney epithets Mod fought his way clear of the air bag and stumbled out of the car door, to be confronted by a small figure flaming with a pitch-black aura.

"You wrecked my cars you little minx!"

**BA-DOOM!**

The five cars' petrol-tanks ignited, turning the chirpy little machines instantaneously into flaming wrecks. Mod turned, looked, turned back, teeth set in a snarl and his face lit by the burning fuel.

"And you cost me my loot!"

Silently the Titan raised a finger and pointed down the street. Mod checked, and sure enough all of the SWAG bags were neatly piled on the street corner, the four comatose Titans lying on top.

"You lose, and you give Britain a bad name too."

Mod cocked an eyebrow. This girly voice was not the usual tones of the brooding, silent Raven.

"Ducky, it's not over till I say so."

Levelling his cane at her like a rapier, Mod took up an offensive stance. Expression unseen, the Goth girl undid the clasp on her cloak and let it fall the ground, leaving her in just her leotard, but a with a great deal more body freedom. Mod blinked. That was unusual, and the fact that Raven was grinning toothily unnerved him slightly.

She reached out, and Robin's spare bo staff detached from his belt and flew straight and true to her palm, fingering it she extended it to its full length and took up a similar pose to Mod.

"Bring it on."

Mod smirked before launching himself towards her, bringing the cane whipping down in the same manoeuvre that had incapacitated Raven beforehand.

This time, she just turned her staff horizontal to his, stopping his attack, before turning and ramming the tip of her own weapon into his gullet, and then bringing it up through ninety degrees to mash the tip into his chin, slamming his head back.

Stunned, Mod stumbled away, seemingly down for the count, before suddenly turning and charging, hoping to catch Raven off her guard. This time he succeeded and so began a vicious exchange of blows, lunges, parries, uppercuts and blocks between two equally matched opponents.

Mod was larger, and had the heavier build, but 'Raven' was seemingly the more proficient, and was able to call upon her telekinetic strength to add weight to her moves, and to levitate/jump over Mod's own offences.

At one point, the crazed man dropped low and swung his cane in a massive arc, to which she responded by leaping straight over his head in a tight somersault and landing on her knees behind him, following up with a rearward thrust which sent Mod flying. Still they got up and went at it again.

---------------------------

Gradually, the other Titans were coming round, conscious, but too weak to fight. Soon however their attention was grabbed by the loud grunts, yells and clashes of the battle being waged not fifty feet away. Amazed they stared as Raven and Mod traded blows.

"Robin," hazarded Starfire, "since when has friend Raven been so proficient with the marital arts?"

Too confused to even correct her, Robin gaped as Raven executed a backflip with a grace and skill not usual to a girl whose usual combat style was as subtle as a brick through a window. However, it was only when she suddenly leapt forward and struck Mod in the chest with a vicious kick that he began to realise where he'd seen this combat style before.

"Slade," he breathed, mainly to himself but loud enough that the others could hear, "he's the only one I know who fights like this."

Starfire and Cyborg exchanged confused and concerned looks, but Beastboy had guessed what was going on as soon as Robin mentioned the name of their former arch-nemesis.

"Terra."

---------------------------

'Raven' had forced Mod onto the ground, his staff smashed to splinters, her own in a position from where she could strike to kill. Despite his predicament, Mod still managed a weak grin.

"You can't win girlie..."

As if from nowhere he produced a detonator.

"Don't even move a muscle. You see those bags that your little friends are unable to move from. They're rigged with explosives. One false move and they're smoke. And if they do survive, my robots will be here soon.

"Don't -- count -- on it," She breathed heavily. "I took those walking tin cans out of commission before I even touched you."

Mod was very worried now.

"How."

She smiled grimly, "I know the command codes."

"That maybe, but there's still the matter of those bombs. Now, step back."

Slowly, she complied, and Mod stood up, dusted off his jacket, licked back his hair and straightened his tie.

"Now drop the staff. There we are--good girl."

Mod slowly began to orbit her from ten feet, thumb held over the detonator. Raven slowly turned to follow him.

"One question. I've been fighting you Titans for years, and I know for a fact that Raven can't do half the stuff you've done in the last ten minutes."

"So?"

"So spill the beans or your pals get blown to kingdom come!"

She smiled back.

"Simple -- I'm not Raven."

Confused, Mod began to slowly backwards down the street, keeping the trigger extended in front of him. As he walked, she began to slowly stalk after him, dark and relentless. Over her shoulder, Mod could see the figure of Beastboy scramble to his knees on the pile of rigged sacks.

"Go Terra! Kick his teeth in!"

Having heard the comment as well, Terra smirked, her eyes burning into a bright yellow fury as she did so.

Mod paled, and began to walk way faster, trying to get as far away from this -- ghost as possible.

---------------------------

"Go Terra!"

Robin and Cyborg stared at their impish friend for a long, hard second, convinced he'd gone off the deep end.

"Beastboy, Terra's dead."

Ignoring them, Beastboy continued to cheer 'Terra' on, while Starfire, eyes still fixed on the two combatants lifted a trembling, disbelieving arm.

"Friends," she quavered.

Robin and Cyborg looked, and gaped.

---------------------------

Mod's arms and legs were pinned by collars of stone that had erupted from the skyscrapers and street and bound him. Unable to move, he trembled in fear as 'Terra' stepped up to him, and removed the detonator from his hand, before crushing it to dust with a single telekinetic blow.

"You put up a nice fight," she blew him a kiss, "see you around, ducky."

She turned, and began walking towards her friends. But with each step she took, she became more and more hesitant, her motions weaker. On the verge of blacking out, she raised a single arm towards them, reaching out to touch them, and slumped forward onto the ground, out like a light.

---------------------------

Inside the amphitheatre, the nerves of rock gradually unwound from Terra's body, gently pulling her into a lying position as they drew back into the ground from whence they came, leaving her prostrate and alone, but not for long.

Hooded figures descended on her, gathered around, before one reached out. Her cape was a soft blue, and her eyes welled with pity.

"She saved us," Compassion wept, "she saved us, and our friends, again."

Smart glided forward, appearing as cool and detached as she could behind spectacles that made them look ridiculously big, before feeling Terra's brow,

"She's alive."

As the emotions drew nearer Terra let out a racking cough, her pale, shivering body convulsing harshly. Most of the emotions instantly dissolved like dust on the wind as they fled back to their sanctums, but three remained behind. Compassion, sniffling slightly, Happy, grinning wildly that her friend was alive and a third, her cloak a deep red, almost like blood in its depth and richness, just smiled softly.

Leaning forward, they all helped lift the weakened Terra to her feet as she came to, her brow covered with sweat, her voice dry.

"Did we win?"

"We won," Happy nodded, happily.

Terra looked at three versions of a face she knew well, settling on the last.

"Who are you?"

The emotion just smiled softly and leaned forward to hug Terra.

"I'm Love."

---------------------------

Raven was coming to at the same time as Terra, though she was in more...natural surroundings. They were still sitting on the pile of loot, too weak to go much further. Her head was in Beastboy's lap while Robin took her pulse and Starfire and Cyborg just watched, concerned.

With a start, Raven's eyes flew open, and she instantly wished she hadn't woken up. Scowling, she pressed her hand to her forehead.

"Ugh. I feel like I've been slammed in the face by a boulder. What happened?"

The others looked at each other, then her.

"You don't remember anything?"

Confused, Raven thought back, and realisation dawned on her face like a sunrise.

"Terra."

Beastboy smiled warmly down at her.

"Yeah, I know."

Robin looked at both of them sternly.

"You two have a lot of explaining to do."

Raven and Beastboy smiled back, then giggled, before soaring straight through chuckling to outright laughter, their voices echoing in the silent street.

---------------------------

Love, Happy and Compassion were still helping a limping Terra along the many pathways of Nevermore. Too weary to speak Terra just hung between them and let them guide her to wherever they were going.

---------------------------

Sometimes it was handy having a cybernetic organism as a friend. Cyborg, the first Titan to recover because of his mechanical nature had been able to drive the T-Car from the tower to them by remote control. He would have also called the police to say that Jump City was now open again for business but Raven had pleaded him to hold it off so that they could do one thing. Even Beastboy was confused as she directed the car along the empty, pedestrian friendly streets.

An idea was germinating in her head.

---------------------------

Raven's emotions were all aware of what she had planned, and had all vanished to make preparations, gathering the strength they needed to help Raven recover as quickly as possible. Eventually, they all swooped down to where Terra and her escort of three were gathered, at the portal out of Raven's mind.

Terra had been here once before, but this time could sense that something was different. The portal, normally a peaceful swirling vortex of doom, was now a very unstable swirling vortex of doom, electricity crackling from it, winds howling down the shaft at gale-force speeds.

It was just a guess, but Terra suspected that this gateway no longer led straight back to the mirror in Raven's bedroom.

---------------------------

"Why are we here?"

The T-Car had come to a halt inside a dark tunnel beneath the city that looked both natural and artificial. Though the way the rocks had come together to form the shaft looked perfectly natural, there was something too precise about the perfect arch of the tunnel, or it's dead straight orientation.

Cyborg, Starfire and Raven now seemed back to full strength, thanks to the miracles of modern technology, alien physiology and sheer supernatural weirdness. Even Robin and Beastboy, both limping slightly, seemed to be well on the mend, though Robin swore that the lump in the back of his head was the size of a billiard ball and rapidly graduating to a baseball.

With Raven leading the way and Cyborg's halogen shoulder lights lighting the familiar tunnel, they walked until they emerged into a wide, open cavern. It was deep, a perfect soup-bowl depression, but several elevated walkways of cooled, hardened magma made convenient paths to the island in the centre. Briefly looking up, the five teens could just make out the high peak of the extinct volcano's cone, where it opened into the middle of Jump City's central park, allowing a ray of light to fall down directly on the frozen figure standing on the highest point of the island, petrified with her arms spread, the traditional stance of a protector making the ultimate sacrifice for those he or she loved. Beneath her feet, an identical plaque to the one in her room still proclaimed her as 'a Teen Titan' and 'a True Friend.'

Raven stopped and turned while Beastboy stood beside her, facing the other three. She took a deep breath and started.

"You might have noticed some odd--occurrences around Titans Tower of late, seen or heard something which didn't seem quite--right. I won't hide the truth anymore," she rested a hand on the frozen form's calf, "Terra's not dead, and her - ghost, her soul, her essence has been haunting us for the last month."

It should have been a bombshell to the other Titans, but it all made sense. Robin's expression was grave, but Cyborg was smiling slightly and Starfire looked ready to go cook 'pudding of happiness'. Raven continued.

"Terra was initially lost, confused, and lonely, and she's been that way for most of her recent life. I've been talking with her and I can tell you why she became a traitor.

For the three years before we met her, Terra was an outcast; homeless and without any family thanks to her gifts. During that time, she'd tried to help people but only succeeded in hurting them further and becoming the focus point for many people's hatred and grief. That's partly why she reacted as she did when Robin spoke about her lack of control, but the other reason is that Slade got to her in the diamond mine, and exploited her own fears. Terra went with him because she thought he could help her control the abilities that had cost her everything that had ever mattered to her in life. Home, security, love. For that, I forgive her."

Beastboy had tuned to stare at her now, and even Robin looked pained at the truth that had been denied them so long. Raven continued apace.

"Given her own insecurities and the massive changes at the tower since she gave herself for us, you might forgive Terra for running away again, but she didn't. She stayed to try and help us as much as she could given her condition. For that, I respect her.

Not only that, but she took a particular interest in Greg, and saved his life by warning Beastboy and me when he nearly choked to death. For that, I am indebted to her.

And today, when we had all failed in taking Mad Mod down, and looked set for another, possibly permanent and fatal trip to his 'school', Terra stepped in using my body and saved us all for the second time in her life, and again, at great risk to herself. For that, I love her.

And I have to thank her in some way. Terra is still inside my mind, but I am convinced after her show of strength today that if she can be forced into her own body again, she can bring herself back to life. To live and breathe again, and if that's possible, I wholly intend to welcome her back with open arms. Does anyone here object?"

Starfire was openly weeping now, while the male Titans were all obviously moved by Raven's words and Terra's plight. Raven looked around, and was replied with a series of nods. Smiling gamely back she stepped up beside Terra's frozen form and pressed her palm firmly against the petrified girl's chest.

---------------------------

Inside Raven's mind Terra had been fully aware of Raven's words and was both stunned and moved. Either side of her Happy and Compassion let go, and she stood by herself, sharing one last hug with Love before stepping up to the portal, turning for one last look. Behind her, the many Ravens all smiled in their own ways before their eyes began glowing black, and their energies crackled around Nevermore with a chanting, resounding stanza.

"Azreath Metrion Zinthos, Azreath Metrion Zinthos..."

Waving one last time, Terra took the headlong plunge and threw herself through the portal.

---------------------------

Raven was chanting softly to herself, black lightening crackling up and down her arm and across Terra's stone form. Her face was screwed up with immense concentration, her eyes squeezed tightly shut, so she could not see what suddenly caused Starfire to scream loudly.

---------------------------

Raven's fist had turned to stone, the same grey granite as Terra. Gradually the effect spread up her arm, bringing a chilling numbness as it went. It reached her shoulder, and then began to creep down over her chest, making it difficult for her to breathe.

---------------------------

Raven quickly guessed what was happening to her but still didn't open her eyes, concentrating all her energies to shooting Terra out of her and back into her own body.

Feeling Terra's own life, energy, strength welling up inside her, Raven willed together every last once of power she had left and LET-IT-RIP!

---------------------------

The cavern shook to a final chanted cry of "AZREATH METRION ZINTHOS!" and Raven's body seemed to ignite with black and yellow energies which overlay each other.

---------------------------

Raven could feel the essence that was Terra blazing through her arm like shot from a cannon and instantly felt the 'stoning' effects weaken and let go of their grip on her. Sensing Terra had made the passage she ripped her arm loose with a scream.

---------------------------

Raven was blasted back from the statue with immense force and fell into Cyborg's arms as limp as a rag-doll. Forcing herself to watch however, she held her eyes open against the storm of exhaustion and watched as the point on Terra where her hand had made contact burned bright as a sun. Gradually cracks began to spread out from it, seams of golden light. At the same time, Terra's eyes and hands began to shine as well, the stone layering chipping and falling to the ground.

Gradually the maze of lines interlinked and burned with a beautiful and almost divine luminescence. As the sound of rock rumbling and cracking roared and echoed about the immense cave, a new sound began to overwhelm and dominate.

The sound of screaming.

---------------------------

Terra's lungs and vocal chords, frozen mid breath two years ago, continued the scream of triumph, pain and desperation that had been her last physical sound as all around her had burned with both her own power and the primal energy of magma. She could feel the pain again, the pain that had threatened to tear her apart and rend her limb from limb.

Except this time, the pain was easing. There was no sudden numbness, no feeling of the tears on her face turning to stone. Now they flowed thick and free as the pain flowed away like water off a rock and she open her eyes again to see five familiar faces staring at her with hopefulness, expectation and love.

Then she fell forward, and there was darkness, and peace...

---------------------------

As Terra slumped forward out of the pose she had held for two years Beastboy caught her and held her, a turbulent mix of emotions raging through his system, a confusing mess which was only forced back when he flicked his eyes at Raven and found her unconscious in Cy's arms. Terra too, was out for the count, her breathing shallow, her body sagging in his arms.

Robin snapped out of the stunned silence that the light and sound show had reduced him too.

"Come on guys, let's go home."

Turning to leave, the six Teen Titans either staggered or were carried back into the light, and into a very uncertain future. One thing was decided however, no matter what fate or the universe threw at them, they would face it as a team, together.

**TO BE CONCLUDED...**

Well? Did you like? Did Mod's jargon confuse you? Review if you enjoyed, and review if you didn't. That's what this button is for. Cheers!

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	5. Epilogue: Sixth Titan

**DISCLAIMER: (Sing to 'Roses are red, violets are blue)**

"_**Beastboy loves Terra,**_

_**He loves Raven too.**_

_**But I don't own Teen Titans,**_

_**So what can I do?"**_

**AUTHOR NOTE:**

**Well, here is the Epilogue for 'Spirit Projection.' The Battle is over, and the lost have returned. There is victory, joy, celebration. But there is also pain, loss, and an eternal longing between two who are destined to love the other forever, but whom Fate and Love must keep divided.**

**Well, here it goes. I want to say thanks to everyone who has reviewed and enjoyed this story. If you want your voices to be heard, then speak! Because I am always open to suggestions and opinions. READ AND REVIEW!**

**Cheers!**

**EPILOGUE: SIXTH TITAN.**

The sun was just dropping below the surface of the ocean, turning the placid sea into a vast pool of fire. Hued orange and gold in the evening light Titans Tower stared firmly out to sea and maintained a silent vigil over Jump City as well, a permanent guardian angel and a source of both physical and emotional support to the people of the city, and its residents.

The top of the tower at sunlight was an almost magical place to be, as the warm sun bathed the concrete in golden light and cast huge shadows behind the many ventilators and service hatches on the skyscraper's broad back. One place however was an open and flat plateau.

Not many people knew about this extremely secret feature of the Tower, not mentioned on any of the web-accessible material, and alluded to only on the classified blueprints for the structure. In fact it was not even visible on most days, hidden beneath the helipad.

Terra slipped out of her bathrobe and dipped a cautious foot into the heated, slightly steaming water of the swimming pool. Just like the sea, the setting sun gave the water a fiery, vivid look. As she slipped in with a barely audible sigh, ripples spread across the surface. Slowly stroking her way across the pool, she sat/lay on an underwater bench around the rim and slowly settled onto it, until only her head and shoulders were visible on the surface.

She rounded off each day if possible with a period in the pool, a welcome break from her otherwise hectic schedule. During the first week since her return, she had felt again like an outsider, with only Raven and Starfire acknowledging her existence as her body gradually recovered.

Not that it ever fully would. Most of her upper chest and back were heavily scarred from both her last battle with Slade and the surgery that had removed his bionic armour, adding to a faded criss-cross pattern that had built up on her body during the long years on the road. As soon as she had regained enough strength to walk on her own however, the male Titans had begun to take a far more proactive role in her life.

Robin in particular. Blaming his own lack of tact for the reason Terra had ever gone to Slade in the first place, Robin had started a comprehensive, occasionally vicious training programme which took up at least five hours a day, six if situations permitted. This was necessary for Terra in many ways, since her recovery had pushed her back to square one as far as control over her geokinesis was concerned. With each day though, she gained experience and control over herself and her powers, and was almost back to the peak she had reached under Slade's tutelage.

Robin was also helping her build on the martial arts Slade had taught her, giving her an added tactical edge in a fight should there not be any rock for her to control. These lessons had ranged from enhanced bo-staff combat to judo, kri-magna and tae-kwon-do, as well as several disciplines Terra had never heard of. She was quick to admit however that the self-control that was gained with such strict martial arts was also an added boost to her. So determined was Terra to learn as much as she could she had quickly gained enough skill to beat Robin in a sparring contest for the first time today.

Raven as well was doing her best to help Terra by teaching her the basics of meditation as a technique to focus the body and mind. They had also gone back to first base on bringing out Terra's telepathic abilities. Unlike the telekinesis, which had vanished with her return to physical form, this had remained, and Terra had displayed sufficient potential to warrant Raven's coaching. Though she made no promises, Raven had hazarded she might easily become her equal with enough effort and dedication, and Terra had been committed to giving 110.

Then there were her responsibilities to Greg. Terra had not gone out on a mission yet by her own violation, preferring to hone her abilities until she thought she was ready. The upside was that this allowed Raven to fight alongside the others at all of their battles.

All of these activities left her days pretty crowded, but she still managed to find the time to cook with Starfire, or watch a movie with the group, or just help Cyborg tune the T-Car. And, as she had fully come into her own over the past few months, the training sessions had become less and less. Now she was fully capable of bench-pressing (physically), twice her own weight and (with her abilities) a mass of rock equivalent in size and weight to a jumbo-jet. She could mentally spar with Raven and had even succeeded in projecting her soul outside of her body again. Added to this her first defeat of Robin today and the plain fact of the matter was that everyone agreed she was ready to go out and do her part for the team.

One thing that still bothered her however was that Beastboy barely spoke to her on most days, and often that was limited to the odd joke. Terra by now was fully acceptant of the fact that they could never be a couple, but that didn't ease the niggling pain she felt inside whenever she saw them together or laid eyes on Greg and remembered the children she had borne for Beastboy in the fake world she had dreamt, particularly Ashley.

----------------------

Terra was just relaxing in the water, letting the warmth ease away the cramps, aches and stresses in her limbs, eyes closed as she reflected, when she heard a door close. Not needing to open her eyes she felt the approach of Beastboy with her mind.

_**'Speak of the Devil and he appears.'**_

Beastboy slipped into the pool in his Speedos and make several quick lengths in his usual, wiry human form, instead of cheating as a swordfish or a barracuda. Eyes now open, Terra watched quietly until he stopped and came to sit by her.

"Hi."

"Hi," he mumbled moodily, staring out to sea. Terra probed slightly and found his mind a mess of jumbled, conflicting feelings.

"Are you alright Beastboy?"

He shrugged and leaned back into the water and thought for a second before speaking.

"Terra, I wanted to ask you something."

"Sure."

"I was wondering if you could forgive me."

She double-taked in confusion.

"Forgive you, for what!"

"For betraying you. I've been feeling bad ever since we realised you were back, and the guilt's just eating away inside."

"Beastboy, there's nothing you have done that I need to forgive you for."

"YES THERE IS!" He suddenly exploded, "when you first ran away I did nothing to find you, and I hate myself for it. I should have combed the whole state to find you and bring you back to where you belonged, but did I? No!

Secondly, on that night at the carnival, I promised to be your friend forever, no matter what you did no matter how awful. You wanted to be honest with me, and I spat it back in your face, remember?"

_**"Slade was right, you have no friends!"**_

"You had good reason to be angry after what I'd done."

"But I still broke my promise, and in doing so I fed you right into the clutches of that monster Slade, just as he would have wanted."

He paused as he stared at his face's reflection in the water.

"And when you--when you, went away, I promised to bring you back, no matter what, but I failed in that duty. And I knew you were alive, I could feel it, but I got involved with Raven..."

"...which was perfectly understandable, natural, and right. You two deserve each other."

"BUT YOU DON'T DESERVE WHAT YOU GOT! All your life, you've tried to do the right thing, only to be slapped in the face by others. And I'm no better because I'm with Raven even when I still have feelings for you, and didn't even once consider how you'd react when you came back. I've created a love triangle that's going to leave at least one person and maybe more hurting for a long time, and that's not right.

Those are the ways in which I've betrayed you, and I'm sorry Terra. I'm truly sorry, and I just want your forgiveness so that I can forgive myself."

Her was a long silence before Terra began to reply hesitantly.

"Beastboy, all the time I've known you, you have never offered me anything but support, kindness and affection. It was those strong, positive memories of you that kept me alive in that prison I'd crafted for myself. That's why I don't need to forgive you because you lent me strength in times of need. And I see you around Raven, and I just know that you two love each other. And though it does hurt me at times, I also take joy from your love for each other. So I'm not going to do anything to stop it, and I just hope that we can be friends."

Part of her wanted to scream out **_'No, love me! Forget Raven and make me complete!'_** but Terra squashed it down and put on a brave smile, which Beastboy wanly returned.

"Friends. Well fine, but two conditions."

"What?"

"One, best friends. We might not be partners, but there's no reason why that bond we still have should die."

"And the second?"

"That you don't object when I do this--"

Turning suddenly Beastboy linked his hands behind her head and drew their lips together, letting Terra experience the kiss they had never shared. She struggled briefly but quickly succumbed as they seemed to flow into each other, drawing closer in order to prolong the moment.

After what seemed like an eternity of bliss to Terra, they gradually, reluctantly drew apart, knowing full well that it would be an experience they would never again repeat, both tearful at what might have been, the lost chance. Pulling her in for a close embrace, Beastboy whispered in her ear.

"If ever you think that I don't love you, just remember that and take what strength you can from it -- I'm sorry Terra, I really am -- and I know that someday you'll find someone deserving of you, even though - for obvious reasons, it cannot be me."

Breaking the hug, Beastboy slowly and sadly pushed himself away towards the steps out of the pool, turning and waving as he climbed out.

"See you around kid."

The door closed again, and Terra was left to linger on that one kiss, and the words that had been spoken.

----------------------

Back in her room Terra vigorously towelled herself off before slipping back into her white dressing-gown, wrapping the soft material around her as she flopped back into her bed, staring at nothing in particular

After a few seconds, she turned to the framed picture she kept beside her bed, staring avidly at it. It was a duplicate of the one Beastboy had hung on Greg's crib, and looking at it Terra realised how impossible it seemed for there to be any romantics between the figures in the photograph. Instead they looked like close and loving friends. Putting it down she looked at the plaque above her pillow.

A good friend. Yes, that's what she had to be.

Her musings were broken by Robin's voice suddenly bursting from the PA system.

"Terra, we've just had a distress call from Jinx's team, they're under attack from a group of their old classmates. You up for this?"

Terra didn't need even a second to make up her mind.

"More than ever."

----------------------

Throwing open her cupboard she drew out the costume she had not permitted herself to wear once during her stay here, even as a ghost. Feeling the pain inside over Beastboy slip away, she began to draw on the yellow short-shorts and black Capri top, remembering instead the thrill, joy and excitement of being on the team, all the while keeping her eyes fixed on the metal armour she had mounted on the wall opposite her bed as a constant reminder of her shame and her new-found commitment.

This was why she had come back.

----------------------

Robin, Starfire, Beastboy and Cyborg were all prepped and ready for battle as they clustered together in the rec room, Raven observing as she bottle-fed Greg. They all turned as they heard the sound of footsteps and watched Terra come down the staircase, spick, span and ready for action in her old costume.

Proudly smiling Robin stepped up to her and held out a T-Com for her to take.

"Welcome back Terra."

This was it, she sighed and looked around the room. Fight or flight, make the decision. Robin saw her hesitancy, and responded;

"No matter what you've done, as far as we're concerned you're a Teen Titan. Always have been and always will-be."

A lone tear trickled down Terra's face as she reached out and received the yellow and black device. Their responses were varied, but respectful.

"Glorious," Starfire, forever cheerful, exuberant.

Cyborg, strong and protecting, grinned with a quiet "Bo-yah!"

A silent thumbs up and a wide grin from Beastboy.

Locking eyes with Raven, she 'heard' her mental reply, **_"well done, now go kick some bad guy butt!"_**

Terra smiled and wiped back her hair, brushed away the tears.

"Thanks guys."

----------------------

Night had fallen and Titan's tower rose bright and gleaming towards the dark clouds in the indigo sky, stalwart, eternal. Before it four figures stood in a line as Robin posed in front like a military commander.

"Titans - go!"

With a wordless nod they took off, Starfire lifting Cyborg beneath the arms and Beastboy soaring off as a green pterodactyl. Terra paused and looked back up the face of the tower, waving at a dark figure in one of the windows, a bundle in her arms.

With a grin as wide as her face Terra slung her arms skywards and a chunk of Earth tore itself free beneath her and catapulted her across the water.

Hanging behind and appraising the dwindling figures with an experienced eye, Robin grinned in turn at the strength and friendship of his team, before calmly aiming and firing off a piton from a cable-gun, which fixed itself into Terra's ride and yanked him off his feet and out across the bay towards the distant lights of Jump City.

Off to save the day.

**TEEN TITANS - GO!**

**THE END.**

This chapter was an emotional one to write. In fact so was the whole story. My brother and beta-reader, Rhodri, usually a hard-headed emotion-phobe, was moved by this and so it seems are many of you.

Terra has lost her love, but has also gained a family in which she is loved. Rest assured though T/BB fans, that another 'alternate take' on Terra's revival **'Terra et Foci,'** is slowly germinating alongside some other projects. I don't know when I'll post it, but I can tell you it dives deeper into Terra's origins and the past which is hinted at in this story. Want to know who 'Uncle Scott' is? Why Terra's mother died in childbirth, how she and her father met in NYC, and what Terra did for two years? Then you'll know sooner or later.

Before that though, I think I'm going to write something either comedic or action-driven, as a change from epics, angst laden filmscripts and emotional heartbreaks.

Thanks for everything guys, and you'll be hearing from me soon. Cheers.

**Rhys Davies.**


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